Match Recap & Reaction | Portland Timbers vs. FC Dallas
The Timbers definitely were not going out in style at Providence Park
The Portland Timbers had their second straight scoreless match at home, as they recorded a scoreless draw against FC Dallas on Sunday afternoon at Providence Park. The match was the final home regular season match in 2024, and while Portland has already qualified for the playoffs, the result locked them into the Wild Card game, and they will need results elsewhere to fall their way if they want to have a chance to win the right to host it.
It was a very familiar starting XI for the Timbers, with one exception that raised an eyebrow or two: James Pantemis was handed the start in goal ahead of regular starter Maxime Crepeau.
The Timbers Army, as they do at the final regular season home game of every season, unfurled another gorgeous tifo. This one took inspiration from the song “Rose Tattoo” by the Dropkick Murphys, combining lyrics with the Rose City’s love of ink. The display also featured the name and an individualized tattoo for each player.
Portland struggled early to deal with Dallas’ press. The visitors, with nothing left to play for in their season, flew forward and immediately challenged for the ball any time a man in green had the it at his foot. For the most part, the Timbers couldn’t escape the pressure and were forced into misplayed passes or hopeful balls.
The result was a choppy start to the game, with Dallas having the longer spells of possession. But Portland were the ones that had the more dangerous chances. Felipe Mora had a great chance to open the scoring in the 18th minute, but his shot was blocked. Jonathan Rodriguez had a chance on the rebound, but his chip attempt was too weak and was easily collected by Jimmy Maurer.
The almost-goals didn’t stop there, as Santiago Moreno had a shot in 26th minute flash wide, and Mora was denied on the doorstep in the 39th minute.
It seemed like every member of the Timbers front four — and also Juan Mosquera because sure why not — had good chances to score. But a lack of composure at the final moment let them down, and none of the chances found the back of the net.
The field started tilting towards Dallas’ goal and Portland mustered wave after wave of pressure, but none of it paid off by the time the halftime whistle blew.
The teams went into the locker room locked at 0-0. The stats reflected Portland’s dominance on the field and the frustration of the half: the Timbers had the edge in shots (11-3), shots on target (4-1), and expected goals (1.4-0.1), and of course didn’t have a single goal to their name.
The second half started similar to how the first half ended: with Portland missing an opportunity. Mora was played in on goal by Moreno in the 47th minute, but Pipe blasted his shot well high and wide.
Portland endured their first period of real danger from Dallas after that. Pantemis, Dario Zuparic, and Kamal Miller were all called into action in the 55th minute to all block clear chances from the visitors. It was some clutch last-ditch defending to keep the Burn off the board.
It became one-way traffic in the second half, and not in Portland’s favor. It was Dallas’ turn to throw wave after wave of attacks at Portland, and very quickly they overtook Portland in total shots. By the 70th minute, Dallas was outshooting Portland 13-18, and had piled up a 2-15 advantage in shots in the second half alone.
Meanwhile, the Timbers feckless form in front of goal continued. While they didn’t generate as many opportunities as the first half, Portland’s finishing was still as wayward as it was in the first half. Evander drifted out of the game, and none of the rest of the forwards made decisions quick enough or smart enough to find the back of the net.
Mora came the closest, when he launched an overhead kick at the death that seemed destined to the top corner. But Maurer made an outstanding save to tip it over the bar, and Portland wouldn’t come close than that to scoring.
Full Time: Portland 0 - 0 Dallas
The result means that Portland can now finish no higher than 8th place in the standings, locking them into the one-off Wild Card game to open the playoffs. A win or draw in Seattle on Decision Day nets Portland the Cascadia Cup, and a win plus some help elsewhere might see them just snag a home game in the Wild Card game — but it’s a long shot.
Goals — POR: Nope // DAL: Nah
Up Next: After a two week break, the Timbers travel to Seattle for a Decision Day rivalry clash with the Cascadia Cup up for grabs. Kickoff on October 19 is set for 6 p.m. PT.
Reaction
How do you suck any kind of good vibes and momentum out of a team going into the playoffs? Go scoreless and collect just one (1) point from your last two home games, of course.
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